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View Full Version : Auschwitz - 70th Anniversary of the liberation.


HarmanKardon
01-27-2015, 02:30 AM
Seventy years ago the Soviet troops liberated the Concentration Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau and closed the most horrible chapter in the history of mankind. Evey single victim reminds us of our commitment to respect and tolerance, love and empathy.

May all the victims of the cruel Nazi Regime rest in peace.

donquixote99
01-27-2015, 09:28 AM
Was there anyone there to liberate when the Red Army got there?

HarmanKardon
01-27-2015, 09:50 AM
They found 7000 people, a lot of them so weak that they died soon after the liberation. 1100000 innocent human creatures, most of them jewish, had been killed in this camp.

Dondilion
01-27-2015, 11:08 AM
I believe through out history there were always leaders like Hitler. We often
gloss over or conveniently ignore them.

Take a look at King Leopold 11 of the Belgium. His regime killed millions of Congolese yet the general public is ignorant about him or his deeds.

HarmanKardon
01-27-2015, 12:09 PM
The Third Reich is documented by a large, a very large quantity of film and picture material, that is the reason why the Barking Monster is still so present in our heads and a lot of people, including me, think of him as the greatest henchman of history for that reason which might be correct or not. I don't know.

nailer
01-27-2015, 12:27 PM
The Third Reich is truly the most well documented example of evil run amuck to date.

The 20th Century was very dark: WWI, Stalin, Hitler, WWII, Mao, Pol Pot...

HarmanKardon
01-27-2015, 12:34 PM
...Turd Bin Laden...

Dondilion
01-27-2015, 01:05 PM
The Third Reich is documented by a large, a very large quantity of film and picture material, that is the reason why the Barking Monster is still so present in our heads and a lot of people, including me, think of him as the greatest henchman of history for that reason which might be correct or not. I don't know.

And it depends on whom were the victims.

Jews are powerful voices in the first world...very prominent in arts, science and government.

Who is there to speak about the genocide of over 10 million
Congolese which occurred near the beginning of 20th century.

This is an indictment on what is taught as Western History, an indication of its
narrow focus.

donquixote99
01-27-2015, 01:07 PM
The 21st century will have its innings, I expect:

I suspect that we are ill-formed for the path we have chosen. Ill-formed and ill-prepared. We would like to draw a veil over all the blood and terror that have brought us to this place. It is our faintness of heart that would close our eyes to all of that, but in so doing it makes of it our destiny... But nothing is crueler than a coward, and the slaughter to come is probably beyond our imagining. (Cormac McCarthy, 'The Counselor')

Dondilion
01-27-2015, 01:36 PM
A serious quote Don.

I should give Cormac McCarthy a check. From all accounts a writer of some weight.

piece-itpete
01-27-2015, 05:37 PM
Great that a horrible thing is getting long past. Maybe?

I've been interested in ww2 for a long time, and its bloody aftermath (for much of the world). I used to think I'd get used to it but the sad truth is, the more you know the more you want to throw up. When people say they believe in humanity I want to laugh, after I smack them hard for their obvious ignorance. Idiots. There is no bottom to the well of human depravity.

Agreed there's always been ruthless, powerhungy men. Hitler was different though imo, for two big reasons. One, he was incredibly smart with an amazing grasp of human nature. He may not have been alone in this.

Two he managed to parlay that into absolute control of one of the pre-eminent industrial powers of his age. Yes, Stalin and Mao managed to kill as many people give or take, but it took them a lot longer to do it. They just didn't have the technical skill, they weren't as efficient.

I've long thought that if it could happen in of the most civilized societies on earth at the time it could happen anywhere. One of the reasons stated over and over again by the leaders at the time for showing the camps when liberated to as many people as they could was they knew it would be downplayed as the winners writing history, and or forgotten.

But HK you make me happy thusly: you're a good guy :) Let's enjoy what freedom and happiness we have while it lasts.

Pete

HarmanKardon
01-28-2015, 01:12 AM
The commemorative ceremony in Auschwitz yesterday was impressive and moving. The Holocaust survivers did not look back in anger but in deep grief. And they expressed their concern about the current situation in the world and urged caution.

Interesting enough attacks on Jewish French increased 100% from 2013 to 2014 (Jewish population ca. 500000). This is a reason why so many French jews decide to leave France and move to Israel, and some even consider Germany.

Every Jew living in Germany should know that a religious or racist attack against him would trigger a sense of outrage in public. Yesterday in Brandenburg a new Synagoge has been opened, we have a small but flourishing jewish community in this town. The building by the way is a former protestant church, isn't that nice?